


Say Yes

by Writinginstardust



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Christmas Presents, Lots of kissing, M/M, Marriage Proposal, non-explicit morning sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:34:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21704536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writinginstardust/pseuds/Writinginstardust
Summary: Henry is spending Christmas with Alex at the White House and even though they agreed no gifts, Henry has a small surprise for his boyfriend.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 34
Kudos: 333





	Say Yes

Christmas morning started the same as every other. Henry woke with Alex in his arms, face buried in his chest, snoring softly. That moment never lasted long, Alex seemingly sensing Henry waking up and rousing soon after, but Henry was determined to savour every second of it today. After today, things would be different. A bit, at least.

He'd thought a lot about how he wanted to do this over the last year. Nothing too dramatic or public would do he'd decided, but he wasn't sure quite how to do it for the longest time. It was cliched doing it on Christmas but since they'd agreed not to do presents this year - why, Henry couldn't remember - Henry had been inspired and come up with an idea to give them both a gift on the anniversary of when he'd made the decision. Alex couldn't be mad at him for breaking their pact for this.

Alex stirred in his arms, mumbling sleepily and nuzzling into Henry's neck. His heart stuttered at the action as always and he brought a hand up to run through Alex’s messy hair, tilting his head down to press a light kiss to his forehead as he slowly woke up. Eyelashes fluttered but refused to open as Alex shifted and pressed a kiss to Henry’s jaw, quickly following it with another, and another, and another as he blindly searched for Henry’s lips, smiling when he finally got there and kissed Henry properly.

His kisses were softer in the morning, sleep clinging to him and slowing his movements, connecting lightly and lingering wherever they landed. Henry loved it. He’d never thought he’d get to have anything like this, be allowed to feel this deeply and freely and have someone return it. He’d certainly never imagined he’d get to have this with Alex of all people and he wanted it forever. Hence Alex’s Christmas present.

“Mornin’ baby,” Alex mumbled sleepily against his lips.

“Good morning.”

“Wha’ time ‘s it?” Henry blindly reached for his phone on the nightstand to check.

“Half seven.”

“What time do we have to get up?” Alex asked, becoming a bit more coherent as his brain kicked into gear, though clearly not enough since he hadn’t twigged what day it was.

“Whenever you want, love. It’s Christmas. We don’t have to do anything.” Alex blinked up at him, the words taking a second to process, before realisation dawned. It was equal parts funny and adorable and Henry let out a little huff of laughter before kissing Alex quickly again.

“Well, merry Christmas then, I guess.” Alex was smiling now, his eyes bright and alert at last.

“Merry Chri-” Alex cut him off with a kiss, one with more purpose than all his previous ones, and Henry melted into it, hands gravitating towards his waist to hold him tight against his body.

“I know...we said...no gifts,” Alex murmured between the kisses he’d started leaving down Henry’s throat, his hand sliding lightly down the length of his body and making Henry’s breathing become more ragged every second. “But I’ve got you a little something. Would you like it now?” Alex’s hand paused at Henry’s pelvis, his knuckles brushing back and forth over soft pale skin as he waited for Henry’s answer.

“Is it really a present if you enjoy it as much as I do?” He asked with a teasing smirk that dropped from his face quickly as he let out a shuddering breath when Alex moved his hand closer to where he wanted it.

“It’s a loophole in our agreement. Do you want it or not?” He scowled up at the pedantic prince. He knew the answer of course, but now he wanted Henry to say it.

“Yes. Thank you.” Alex grinned and finally wrapped a hand around him, watching as Henry’s eyes fluttered shut and his lips parted on a near silent gasp.

He took his time unravelling Henry with his hands and mouth and Henry happily returned the favour afterwards, both of them left warm, contented, and sleepy when it was over. Henry would have given anything to stay wrapped up with Alex like this forever, but he couldn’t. Not now at least. Maybe later. If all went well anyway.

He wasn’t really worried about it, he tried to tell himself. He knew Alex loved him, had admitted to ‘feeling forever’ about him early on in their relationship, and would almost definitely say yes. But there was a slither of doubt and anxiety he just couldn’t shake. After a lifetime of never feeling worthy, it was hard to believe.

* * *

Watching Alex opening his presents with a fond smile, having already finished with his own, Henry fiddled with the little box in the pocket of his bathrobe. The waiting was killing him but he was going to stick to his plan. A few minutes longer with Alex as his boyfriend rather than his fiance wasn’t the end of the world. Finally, Alex was finished.

June shot a glance his way and he nodded subtly. She slid off the sofa and retrieved the final present from where it was hidden around the back of the tree.

“There’s another one for you Alex,” she said, pretending to read the label. “It’s from Henry.”

Alex took the box from his sister, not noticing as she pulled out her phone and started to sneakily record the whole thing. She was sure they’d want to remember this.

“I thought we said no gifts!” He said incredulously as he turned to his boyfriend. “Now I feel bad.” Henry smiled softly and rolled his eyes.

“Just open it.”

Alex tore the paper off and pulled the lid off the box inside, frowning at the folded piece of paper he was greeted with. He looked at Henry, question held in his eyes, but Henry just gestured for him to read the note he’d written. Hesitantly, Alex unfolded the paper and began to read.

Henry watched his face carefully, seeing his reactions play out freely as he focused on the love letter, not noticing Henry slip off his armchair and kneel in front of him. He pulled the the box from his pocket and opened it, not saying a word, just waiting patiently for Alex to finish reading. There were tears forming in the corners of his eyes now and Henry watched him trying to keep them at bay, failing completely by the time he got to the end. He put the paper down, finally laying eyes on Henry and the ring in his hands. He stared for a long moment in silence before whispering a single word.

“Yes.” 

Henry’s lips twitched and a little huff of laughter escaped.

“I haven’t even asked you yet.”

“Well then hurry up and ask me!” Alex slid off the couch to kneel in front of him, linking his fingers with Henry’s free hand and staring into his eyes.

“Alexander Gabriel Claremont-Diaz, pain in my ass, love of my life, ...will you marry me?” He barely finished the question before Alex was throwing himself into his arms and crying yes repeatedly, only stopping to kiss him senseless. The unexpected force knocked Henry onto his ass but Alex didn’t stop kissing him for a second, climbing into his lap and threading his fingers through soft blond hair.

Henry slid his hands to Alex’s waist and pulled him closer as he kissed back with the same passion Alex was using, neither of them caring that the whole family was there, and June stopped recording. With their permission, she’d share the video later and the world didn’t need to see all that. Finally, with flushed cheeks and elated smiles, they broke apart and Henry slid the ring onto Alex’s finger, a quick snap telling them June had captured the moment.

More snaps followed as Alex cupped Henry’s jaw and kissed him again, gentler, slower, but just as loving as before. He’d never felt so happy. He’d said before that Henry was his forever but now there was no question about it. He was Henry’s forever as well.

Later, when they were both out of their pyjamas and media appropriate, June took cheesy but classic couple engagement announcement pictures for them to post on Instagram, sending the ones she’d taken in the morning alongside them. Alex spent a long time looking at the picture of them kissing in their pyjamas when he and Henry snuggled into bed that night. The ring was clearly visible where he was holding Henry’s face and the love and joy seemed to radiate out of the photo, touching his heart and making him relive the moment in vivid detail. There was no way the royal or white house PR teams would be happy about him sharing such a messy, private, candid moment on social media but that was the real them. 

Normally he didn’t want the world glimpsing too much of their private life, happy to play the role he’d perfected over the years, the more media friendly version of himself. But there was something about this moment and this photo. This was  _ them _ . This was something that meant the world to him and he wanted memorialised in some small way, shared so everyone would know how happy Henry made him. 

Forgoing the rules and the perfectly cute and acceptable options at his disposal, Alex uploaded the photo, only writing the shortest of captions before posting and putting his phone aside. It needed no explanation after all. 

Henry was looking at him fondly when Alex rolled onto his side to face him. He linked their fingers together, gaze catching on the ring once more before Henry tilted his face back towards his own and brought their lips together. They both ignored the incessant buzzing of their phones as they blew up, losing themselves in each other for a while instead. 

“I love you,” Alex whispered when they stopped.

“I love you too.” Alex looked down at the ring again, smiling softly and running his thumb over the smooth gold.

“That was the best Christmas present I’ve ever gotten. I don’t know how I’m meant to top that.”

“You already have.” Alex flicked his eyes back to Henry’s, a hint of confusion in them. Henry moved his face close to Alex’s again, pausing a breath away. “You said yes,” he whispered and kissed him.

**Author's Note:**

> I love these boys so much and I was reading through a Christmas prompt list and inspiration for this just slammed into me and I had to write it. Proposals are always the cutest thing and I just really needed this.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this! xx


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